The Best Home Theater Projectors For An Amazing Movie Night

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Bring the Big Screen Home With Top Model Home Theater Projectors

The only thing better than going to see a movie on the big screen is seeing a movie on the big screen in the comfort of your home! Thanks to advancements in technology, you are now able to purchase home theater projectors that can rally bring a movie to life – all you need is a movie, a big screen (or even just a wall) and some snacks and you are set. There are many different home theater projectors on the market all offering different features and all priced differently, so to assist you in choosing the best system for your home and entertainment needs, here is an overview of the best on the market.

Optoma HD28DSE 1080p 3D DLP Home Theater Projector

If you imaged that projecting a movie or video file onto a large screen means a loss of quality, then you will be pleasantly surprised when you see just how crisp and clear the picture is through the Optoma 3D DLP Home Theater Projector. It offers full HD projection (as long as you use a HD video file of course), and the quality will be so great that you will think that you are watching a very large TV rather than a projected image. A separate attachment can be purchase which allows you to sync your Smartphone or tablet to the projector, so you can project straight from your phone without needing to pre transfer files. And it is perfect for gamers as there will be no buffering or lag in the image. It can also play 3D files for the ultimate cinematic experience. One great feature is that it actually comes with a full size remote – it looks just like any TV remote control, so is very user friendly and functional.

Celluon PicoPro Ultra-portable Laser HD Projector

When you think of home theater projector systems, chances are you don’t instantly think if them as being particularly portable. However, the Celluon PicoPro Ultra-Portable Laser HD will change the way you think of home projectors. It truly is a portable home entertainment system in that it is the world’s first laser projector that is small enough to fit in your pocket. It does have HDMI connections, however thanks to the inclusion of wireless connectivity, it doesn’t even need cords to work. It can connect to most Android and Windows devices wirelessly, however other devices (such as iPhones, Apple Watches and Macs) will require a connection cable. It has a very impressive projection range considering its size, and can project a wide screen even from up close – simply adjust the picture to suit the current location and lighting. The main benefit of having such a portable projector is that you can take it anywhere with you, from the office to a friend’s house. It only weighs 0.38lbs and fits in the palm of your hands. The runtime is up to 3 hours on a single charge, so it does not even need to be plugged in to watch small videos and most movies.

Epson Home Cinema 3LCD Home Theater Projector

Just because you are not one of the Kardashians, or live in a cinema, does not mean that you can’t have cinema quality movies at home. Thanks to the Epson Home Cinema 3LCD Home Theater Projector, you can project high quality video and images anywhere, whether it be for a project at school, for a presentation at work, or simply to sit down with a movie at home. It is one of the highest quality projectors on the market with 4400 Lumens brightness – so it will even project clearly even with lights on (the average projector only has around 3,000 lumens of brightness). It has a lot of different input and output settings so you can connect it to you laptop, PC, gaming console, satellite boxes and even your Smartphone. It can even effectively stream content from different devices including Roku and ChromecastTM. See for yourself why Epson are the number one selling home entertainment brand in the world.

BenQ DLP HD 1080p Projector (HT3050)

For a home theater projector that does not look like everybody else’s on the street, you cannot go past the BenQ HT3050 HD 3D Home Theater Projector. It has a unique vintage, almost retro feel to it, so will match your funky decor. This projector is so much more than the trendy and stylish exterior however; it is high definition and actually uses the same color palette that the Hollywood studios use – a RGBRGB color wheel. This provides an almost exact color replica of which you would find in the cinema. It is also super quiet and can be compared to a whisper, so it will not take away from the more dramatic moments in the movie. And partly because it is so quiet, it is also one of the most energy efficient and cheapest to run on the market. Another benefit of the BenQ Home Theater Projector is that it is considered to be a ‘short throw projector‘, meaning that it does not need to be a ridiculous distance away from the projector screen in order to work and display a wide screen. So you can place the projector on the coffee table and aim it at the wall. It will also play 3D movies, which will really bring the cinematic experience to life.

Optoma HD142X 1080p 3D DLP Home Theater Projector

The Optoma HD142X 3D DLP Home Theater Projector is a perfect home theater solution for the family that is on a budget but who still appreciates the value of seeing a movie at home on the wide screen. This projector is a Digital Light Processing (DLP) projector which basically means that it uses microscopic mirrors to project the image. The DLP is an alternative to LCD and works very well for projectors. It may be one of the more affordable projectors on the market but there is no compromise on quality – it will play HD and 3D videos, and has 3,000 Lumens of brightness, which is right up there with the best. The kind of quality that you would expect in the premium projectors. It weighs under 6 lbs so it is very portable and the size means that it is easy to take from place to place.

LG Electronics PF1000U Ultra Short Throw Smart Home Theater Projector

LG have been an industry leader for all entertainment and household products for years, and it is easy to see why. Chances are you would never have seen a projector quite like the LG Ultra Short Throw Smart Home Theater Projector – it truly is innovative. It is around the size of a brick (weighing significantly less however) and only needs to be placed 15 inches away from the wall – and it will project 100 inches, which is massive when you consider how close the projector is. So you will not have the issue of people walking in front of the projector and creating shadows. And because it connects to your speakers and media via Bluetooth, there are no wires. It really is the perfect projector for those who have small spaces and like the idea of not having to set up a bulky projector every time. Despite its size, the quality is high with 1080p resolution which is equivalent to Ultra HD. It is also smart TV enabled, so you can stream Netflix, Amazon, Hulu Plus and other streaming services. It really can be a replacement for your standard TV if you wish.

Optoma HD25-LV-WHD 1080p 3D DLP Home Theater Projector Bundle

If simply purchasing a projector is not enough for you, and you are looking for extra value, then the Optoma HD25-LV-WHD 3D DLP Home Theater Projector Bundle is perfect. The extra product in the bundle is a WHD200 Wireless HDMI System – this can add a lot of value to your home entertainment system because when using this wireless system is included it eliminated the need for long cables – simply place the projector wherever it is best and most convenient and plug the HDBI cable into the wireless system out of the way. This WHD200 Wireless HDBI system is one of the best available on the market as is streams full DH video and audio with no compression, so no quality is lost when in use. The projector itself is of very high quality and it can project equivalent to a 67 inch TV from only 8 feet away. And if you move it back an extra 4 feet (so 12 feet away), you can get a massive 101 inch projection. There are specially made attachments for the Optoma range of projectors – including a ceiling mount, motorized projector screen, and 3D glasses.

BenQ W1080ST 1080p Full HD Short-Throw Video Projector

Projectors have come a long way since their inception when they needed to be placed on the ceiling or on the other side of a very large room in order to have a decent sized projection. Now days, short throw projectors are all the rage and are becoming the new standard. The BenQ Full HD 3D Short-Throw Video Projector is an example of one of these new short throw systems, and is a market leader. The short throw feature means that it can project up to 100 inches from only 5 feet away, making it perfect for small rooms and for those who simply do not want to have the projector sitting in an awkward area. This BenQ projector also has an additional feature which is not commonly found – a specially designed side projector with keystone correction. So if you are unable to find a suitable location for the projector directly in front of the projection area, you can place it on a side table or bench at an angle to the screen, and it will straighten the picture. This side-on feature is only available in 2D, however when the ordinary front on projection is used then it is able to play files in 3D.

Optoma HD37 1080p 3D DLP Home Theater Projector

For a smaller, affordable home theater projector that is perfect for the family movie nights, the Optoma 3D DLP Home Theater Projector has everything that you could possibly need. It has 2600 Lumens of brightness, which is higher than the average projector, meaning that you don’t need the room to be in complete pitch black in order to see the screen clearly. One great and popular feature it also has is the included remote control, which is a similar shape and design to your everyday TV controller for ease of use. It also has the revolutionary keystone correction technology which means that you do not need to sit the projector dead centre to the screen or wall – the lens will adjust itself when it is on an angle and the picture will appear straight. So if you are an everyday American family who are looking for a home theater solution that is quality and packed with functions, then this Optoma 3D DLP Home Theater Projector will tick all the boxes.

Home Theater Projectors Buying Guide

Projectors are no longer exclusively used in schools and other institutions, they are increasingly popular in the family home, and are becoming more and more affordable. There are also many different types of home theater projectors available, and they come in different sizes with different functions. If you are considering investing in a home theater projector, there are a few things you need to consider, as no two projectors are going to be the same. Exactly what you will be looking for will depend on many factors including:

What you plan on using it for( movies, games, streaming TV, viewing photo files).

The size of your house or room

The positioning of the room (where the projector needs to sit)

No matter what you want to use it for and what size room you will be using it in, there are a few key things that need to be considered when choosing the perfect home theater projector. These are highlighted below.

Technology – LCD or DLP

When it comes to purchasing a television, the two types will generally be Plasma and LCD. Projectors are a little bit different. They are generally either LCD (Liquid Crystal Display) or DLP (Digital Light Processing).

Without getting too technical, LCD Projectors have 3 transparent panels (one each for red, green and blue), and because projected video is more or less zoomed and stretched, this can produce a ‘screen door’ effect, in that fine lines can be visible (like looking at it through a screen door). Making the projected image smaller is the only way to lessen this effect, however this potentially defeats the purpose of having a projector in the first place. Higher quality LCD projectors will not have this effect, so make sure if you do wish to purchase one that you read the specifications and even have a look at different forums and reviews.

DLP Projectors on the other hand use very small mirrors to project the image, and the more mirrors used, the greater the resolution of the projected image. A color wheel is used to generate the colors (red, green and blue). The color image on these projectors are significantly finer and clearer and can be noticeably crisper and sharper. The DLP technology is more advanced and therefore more expensive, so you may need to make a trade off between price and image quality.

Connection

Different projectors will have different ways of connecting to the media and other external devices such as speakers. The main considerations to think of when thinking about which connection method is best is to think about the space of the area (and whether cords are an issue) and the location of the speakers, power points and media (such as a laptop). The main forms of connection are below.

Cable: The most basic form of connection is a cable (most likely HDMI). In which case, if you are projecting form a laptop then you will need to have the laptop within reach of the HDMI cable, and often will need to be close to a power point as well. If you have a lot of devices all connected, we recommend considering a HDMI splitter like the ones we reviewed here. They are the cheapest but can sometimes be inconvenient and get in the way.

Wireless: A few of the top-end projectors will have wireless capability, which can be significantly easier to set up and it means that the projector itself can be situated anywhere in the room. Some have inbuilt wireless capability, and some require a separate wireless system (purchase separately).

Bluetooth: Another popular connection mode is Bluetooth, and allows for quick and easy connection to Bluetooth enabled speakers and other such appliances. It also means that you can connect your Smartphone to the projector easily, which can be great for showing home movies, slideshows and for use at work.

Size

You may be surprised at how many different sizes there are between home theater projectors. No longer are all projectors the size of a large book and require to be mounted on a ceiling or placed securely on a table or counter top. You can actually purchase extremely portable projectors that can actually fit into your pocket and be taken anywhere for projection on the fly. And some projectors are in-between the small portable ones and the full size ones – approximately the size of a house brick.

As with anything electronic, smaller projectors will generally have a smaller range and have lower quality image. Really portable projectors (like those that can fit in the palm of your hand) are not going to be able to project as large an image as one of the larger, ceiling mounted ones. But if physical size is most important, then this can definitely work best for you.

How important is lamp life?

Lamp life is actually an important factor when considering which projector to purchase, as they can vary between models and brands. Luckily lamp life of a particular projector is well communicated and will always be included in the main specifications and description of the item. The average projector will have a lamp life of around 2,000-4,000 hours, and this basically means that this is the average number of hours that the projector can run at before losing power and brightness.

It is important to note that if a particular projector has a lamp life of 3,000 hours, it does not mean that as soon as the 3,000 hours is up that the projector will turn off and not work anymore. Rather it is actually referring to the ‘half life’, so it will be expected that after the 3,000 or so hours of use, the lamp will become around half as bright as it was at full power. So it will still be able to be used, the picture will just get increasingly dimmer until it eventually stops working. But there is no need for guess work – you will be able to tell when the lamp gets to half life and then you will have plenty of time to purchase a new lamp and change it before the projector stops working.

Replacement lamp costs will vary between type and brand (and size), however on average they will cost around $200 – $500. Generally the more expensive lamps will last longer, but this is not a guarantee. This may sound like a lot, but when you consider how often the average projector is actually used, it still lasts a long time. For example, if you use your projector to watch 2 movies a week, you could say that it would be running for around 5 hours a week. So a projector with a lamp life of 3,000 hours will last over 11 years. So even if you use it significantly more, it is not likely to be a regular purchase.

What is the image quality like?

Image quality is another factor that can vary greatly between different models of home theater projectors. There are two main factors that can affect image quality, and these are the resolution and contrast ratio of the projector. It is also important to know that the actual image or video file will also play some importance on the final image quality being projected.

Resolution: Resolution will be descried as either being XGA (1280 x 800) or HD (1920 x 1080). Basically a HD projector will have around twice the pixels of an XGA projector, and so the image quality will be much clearer and crisper. Keep in mind that even if you are playing a video file that was filmed in High Definition, unless you play it through a HD projector, then the image quality will not be at its potential. Most modern gaming platforms (such as the PlayStation 4 and Xbox 360) will use HD. For filming 4K footage, take a look at the top videos cameras here. You will find that most quality projectors these days will have an 1080p resolution (so will be HD). 360 degree footage also looks great on these types of projects, read our full review here.

Contrast Ratio: Contrast ratio simply describes the contrast level between white and black, so the higher the contrast ratio is then the blacker that the blacks will appear, and the whiter the whites will appear. The ratio is the difference between the black and white. This will be described on the projector as something like 10,000:1. A low contrast ratio will have a smaller number, so will be something like 2,000:1 so look for a higher number if you would like to prevent the blacks from appearing grey and the whites from coming across in an off-white hue.

How bright should the projector be?

Because there is no backlight with home theater projectors it is impossible to get one as bright as an actual television. Generally in the past, you have needed to have a room in almost pitch black in order to properly view an image or video on a projector, and as soon as someone turned a light on, the image almost faded to nothing. So how bright should your projector be? This depends on where you plan on using it, and what type of lighting will be typical. The brightness level is measured in Lumens – the higher the Lumens, the brighter it will be. You may have noticed Lumens used to describe the brightness of lanterns or camping lights.

Generally if you only want to watch movies with friends in a very dark room, then you will be able to cope with a projector with a lower number of Lumens (around 1,000 Lumens). If you plan on using it in a room with ambient light, then you will need a projector with a slightly higher number of Lumens – at least 2,000 Lumens. And for use in brightly lit areas unless you have a very high quality projector with a minimum of 3,000 Lumens, then the quality of the projection will be compromised. Of course, the higher the Lumens the better no matter what, and brightness can be adjusted if you are using a particularly bright projector in a dark room.